25 fitness mistakes you may be making without realizing

I remember when I first got into working out, and my parents were both worried I was going to look like a giant cloud overnight. That’s not how that works. Lifting weights doesn’t instantly make you gigantic or look like someone inflated you like a balloon. This all stems from misunderstandings about how muscle growth works. To reach that ”bulk,” it would take years, and not only that, an extremely high-calorie diet. Women also tend to believe that lifting will make them too muscular. Again, this is not how it works, but it is how you can begin to tone yourself, which is precisely what the majority of people strive for. 

Does going on runs or long walks help burn calories? Of course. It’s far from the only way of losing weight, however. Strength training is one of the best ways of doing this. Anything that requires movement, like sports or dance, also accomplishes this endeavor. Cardio is essential, but it’s not the end-all, be-all. To lose weight, diet is actually the most important thing. Take some time to track what goes into your body, from calories to protein and carbs, and you’ll be amazed at how much you’re able to eat while still shedding pounds. 

Go ahead and work out every day. I did that for the longest time, but the results never blew me away as the years progressed. It wasn’t until I downloaded a food tracking app and realized the food going into my body wasn’t enough. Consuming high-protein foods with fiber helped me begin to see progress. Finding that balance with carbs is what will help you to hit your fitness goals quicker than you’d think. 

Out of all the misconceptions out there, this one is particularly dangerous. I used to skip those stretches before I worked out. We all have busy schedules, and trying to fit in a 30-minute workout is hard enough as is. Adding 5-10 minutes to warm up doesn’t always seem possible. I’d say it’s almost better to take less time working out if it means you can properly warm up, especially as you get older. Doing this raises your heart and breathing rates while improving flexibility, reducing the chance of short-term or long-term injuries.  

Delayed onset muscle soreness is commonly believed to mean that you did everything right with your workout the day before. This idea of chasing pain to convince yourself that you're building muscle is extremely dangerous. When you first start exercising, it’s common to feel that soreness. Over time, that goes away. Don’t take that as a sign that you’re not hitting the weights as hard as you should be. Listen to your body. If you incorporate new exercises and motions into your routine, you may very well feel sore. Don’t seek out muscle pain by thinking you have to lift heavier or do some intricate exercise. 

Carbs are essential. I’ll repeat that one: carbs are essential. They serve as the primary source of energy in your body. It leads to the creation of glucose, which plays a pivotal role in muscle development. This misconception stems from the overindulgence of overly processed carbs, including junk food and sugar-packed foods. Limit those. Don’t limit high-carb gems like fruits, veggies, and whole grains. 

You’ve likely said to yourself or thought in your head, “There’s just enough time in the day.” The lack of sleep you may be getting may allow you to accomplish more with work or your personal life, but it comes at the cost of your fitness goals. Your body and its muscles need time to rest and recover fully. Lack of sleep can lead to injuries and make it harder to overcome plateaus. 

It’s easy to get stuck in a routine when it comes to your fitness endeavors. After all, we strive to establish routines in both our work and personal lives. With exercising, though, getting too much into a routine can lead to ineffectiveness. Going to the gym and performing the same five chest exercises with the same 10-rep count will only result in plateaus. Make sure to alternate what exercises you incorporate into your regimens, and don’t be afraid to try new things to help you blow past any plateau. 

Mindlessly following influencers and taking their advice as gospel is risky. Sure, they look good while they’re doing that wild one-handed push-up while balancing a 45-pound plate on their back. That’s the point! Aesthetics and motivation aside, what you’re seeing these influencers share aren’t always the programs you should be following. Those edited images and unrealistic results aren’t your end goal. Going down this path can quickly lead to burnout and mental stress. 

Remember that part about not getting enough sleep? This falls in the same category. Your body needs to rest and recover. Going to the gym every single day is not great for your long-term goals. Overtraining is a very real problem that plagues many fitness hopefuls. This isn’t to say you shouldn’t strive for movement or low-level physical activity every day. That’s always important. The gains you’re hoping to make take time, and the true growth happens during those rest days when you’re feeding your muscles those valuable nutrients. 

This isn’t just protein shakes, either. It's likely that you’re not getting enough protein in your diet. This is a major mistake most make in their nutrition goals since protein provides essential amino acids that aid in muscle recovery and tissue repair. It may seem counterintuitive, but consuming high-protein diets actually means you’ll likely feel less hungry, which can help you avoid the need to grab those Pringles while you watch TV. 

As you build and tone muscle, it’s imperative that you’re also focusing on your body’s full range of motion. If joint health isn’t something you’re prioritizing, that’s a big mistake. Stiff joints, strains, and muscle imbalance can all stem from the lack of mobility exercises. If you need examples of these exercises, try incorporating rotation or yoga poses into your workouts. 

You’re trying to impress your gym crush, so you toss on an extra 25-pound plate. We’ve all been there. While it looks cool to lift heavier (at least, that’s how it’s perceived), you’re actually causing more harm than good because you’re bypassing proper posture and likely cutting into quality reps. There has to be a proper progression when increasing your weight, not just doing so for aesthetics. That can lead to injuries. Nailing perfect form while repping 25s on bicep curls is far more valuable than tossing your back out attempting to curl 40s three times. 

Don’t overlook proper hydration. We have plenty of beverage options at our disposal, but nothing stacks up for your fitness goals like water. When your body is under-hydrated, it hinders muscle recovery and increases the potential for cramps and injuries, which can have lasting impacts on your ability to work out. 

Spending two hours at the gym seems to help accelerate your progress. Wrong. While doing so once in a while isn’t the worst thing, working out for too long over a long period of time can lead to inflammation, increase injury risk, and even affect your heart. The optimal workout time is between 30 and 60 minutes. Stay in that range and you’ll be golden!

If your goal is to lose weight, why would you want to eat something that has fat in it? Actually, fat is an essential nutrient, and the right kind of “fatty” food, like avocado, nuts, and salmon, is crucial for giving your body energy, supporting cell growth, and helping vitamins be absorbed. What you want to avoid is food containing trans fats, such as fried food and processed meats.

The overexposure of influencers across social media makes it impossible not to see someone pursuing their own fitness journey. This isn‘t even concerning those people. This also — and more importantly — applies to those close to you who are also upping the ante on their workouts. You may see your friend share a flattering gym pic that leaves you second-guessing your decisions. You’re doing the exact same thing they are; how come you aren’t seeing the same results? Our bodies are entirely different from each other. Focus on yourself, and trust that the hard work will pay off. 

I put these two back-to-back because they go hand-in-hand. Remember the plan you put together when you started this fitness routine? Don’t let stalled progress ruin all of that. Your goals can and will be reached if you stick to the plan. There’s always room for adjustments, of course, and you should always be looking for ways to add new wrinkles to your routine, but don’t let outside noise deter you from the original plan. 

There’s a long-standing belief that working out first thing in the morning is the best time to get your lift in. That’s nothing more than a misconception. Pick a time that works for you — early morning, midday, midnight, whatever — and keep consistent. There’s no universal benefit to the perceived optimal time of working out in the morning. Don’t let others convince you that their workouts are more effective just because they got a pump in before heading to the office. There are 24 hours in a day; make the most of that time so that your workouts allow you to enjoy all aspects of your life. 

Raise your hand if you’re guilty of this one? My younger self is. Core workouts were always an afterthought for me, but not crunches. I used to do those almost every day, thinking that was the best way of shedding pounds in my midsection. It turns out, your core has a slew of small muscles that need different variations of crunches, twists, and everything in between. Think of your core like every other part of your body. You wouldn't bench press every single day, would you?

Never sacrifice good posture for anything when it comes to working out. If you're doing bicep curls and find yourself swinging or leaning back too much, that's your cue to lessen the weight. Nothing can slow down or even derail progress more than a bad stance. Executing more reps with lower weight while maintaining ideal positioning is the optimal approach. 

This isn't to say you need to spam social media, letting everyone know what you're up to. This means finding someone or a group who shares the same goal as you, so you have someone to be along with on the ride. It's always easier to do something when you have another person (or more) helping to keep you motivated. Whether it's a friend, your significant other, or someone you met online, having an outlet to share your small victories and learn new things is always essential. 

Step trackers like your Fitbit and Apple Watch are incredible tools at your disposal. At the same time, they can also give a false sense of physical activity. Hitting 10,000 steps is a standard barometer for people looking to lose weight. Yet, these trackers don't measure the intensity or whether you were walking uphill or downhill, nor do they offer details on the variety of ways to get steps. If you saw someone run for 5,000 steps up and down stairs and then watched someone slowly walk around the neighborhood for the equivalent of 5,000 steps, there's no way you'd say the latter worked harder, right? Their watches would read the same. 

When your body loses fat, it's across the whole body, not just one area. The most common mistake in this department occurs when people aim to lose belly fat and focus solely on ab workouts, believing this will be the fastest way to achieve their goal. That's far from the truth. 

The New Year's resolution to either start going to the gym or change some part of your fitness and nutrition routine is the best and worst thing. Yes, it's great that this will be the point that gets you started on something exciting, but the downside is the idea that you have to wait until this specific day to begin doing so. If it's September, don't waste the next three months saying you'll change it in the new year. The best time to start is now!